title: Identification and characterization of herpes simplex virus-specific CD4+ T cells in corneas of herpetic stromal keratitis patients.
abstract: Herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) is a corneal disease initiated by a herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection with a postulated T cell-mediated immunopathology. To study the antigen specificity of cornea-infiltrating T cells in HSK patients, T cells were isolated and expanded by mitogenic stimulation from corneas of 2 patients with HSV-1-mediated HSK. A substantial number of the T cell clones (TCCs) obtained from these T cell lines were HSV-specific. All HSV-specific TCCs were of the CD3+CD4+CD8- phenotype. These TCCs responded to autologous HSV-infected corneal keratocytes, which expressed HLA class II molecules following incubation with interferon-gamma. Upon HSV-specific stimulation, all TCCs secreted interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interferon-gamma. The data presented suggest that HSV-specific CD4+ T cells play a role in the immunopathogenesis of HSK in humans and that corneal keratocytes may act as antigen-presenting cells in this local T cell response.
authors.affiliation: Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Institute of Virology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. verjans@viro.fgg.eur.nl
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Verjans
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Remeijer
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: van Binnendijk
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Völker-Dieben
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Baarsma
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
mesh_terms: D017951:Antigen Presentation; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma